". . . it is necessary for us to have an understanding of God himself in the beginning. If we start right, it is easy to go right all the time; but if we start wrong, it is a hard matter to get right."
-- Joseph Smith, Nauvoo, Ill. April 7, 1844

Thursday, June 21, 2007

A Mormon Guide for Journalists

Considering all of the attention the media is giving to Mormonism, a quick guide would be handy. Obviously, these are just suggestions and probably no journalist will actually take notice. It contains must read interviews, comments on repeated statements, clarifications, style usages, and etc. There is really no reason a reporter should be ignorant of at least some basics with as much information and sources available.

Start with must read interviews. The following should be read by every news reporter before they start a story. Many answers to questions can be found in these insightful interviews. Keep in mind these are qualified individuals, but not official statements:

Another good Pew Forum interview is with the church's general counsel Lance B. Wickman and Elder Russell M. Nelson of the church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Many of the same questions should be covered like the above, so there is no reason not to have answers available.

A good mix, actually better than the show itself, is the PBS Interviews, including the President of the LDS Church, Gordon B. Hinkley. For better reference of context read Who's Who on "The Mormons" for each person represented on the PBS show and the extended online interviews.

Technically, this isn't an interview. However, it might be helpful to read Ken Jenings' advise to would be writers on the Mormon topic.

There is no secret doctrines in Mormonism, only lazy research. As Richard Bushman stated in the Interview above, "There are things that go on in the temple that are not talked about outside the temple, but they are not really doctrine; it is really a set of rituals that are practiced in the temple that are not discussed." In other words, whatever Mormons teach might be confusing, unusual, and unfamiliar, but they are not hard to find. All it takes is a little "heavy" reading material.

Here are some official sources:

Start with the Scriptures that Mormons use for doctrine. This includes the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.

Even more information can be found in the LDS Church Ensign magazine. There you can find a treasure of statements about doctrine from general members to LDS Church leadership. It is best to pay attention to the Semi-annual General Conference talks. That is where most of the official business takes place.

Of course, all of this can be found at The LDS Church web site. Any place can be visited, but these are good starting points.

For a cornicopia of information outside of "official channels" there is always the diverse Mormon Archipelago filled with any number of Mormon viewpoints. Like any group of people, opinions are as varied as the individuals.

Just remember, as quoted from an article at the LDS Newsroom about doctrine, not everything is of equal stature:

Some doctrines are more important than others and might be considered core doctrines. For example, the precise location of the Garden of Eden is far less important than doctrine about Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice. The mistake that public commentators often make is taking an obscure teaching that is peripheral to the Church’s purpose and placing it at the very center. This is especially common among reporters or researchers who rely on how other Christians interpret Latter-day Saint doctrine.

Be aware of Style and Definitions. Although the general readership might not know the difference, every journalist has been taught bad style, spelling, and word usage can be unprofessional.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is the official name of the Church. It is best to include the full name at first mention. Although the official Church would like it to be refered to as "The Church of Jesus Christ" after the first full mention, that might not be politically acceptable. However, calling it the "Mormon Church" is equally unacceptable. It should be called the "LDS Church" after the first mention.

Mormon or Mormonism. The name "Mormon" can refer to individual members, although "Latter-day Saint" is probably a better designation. The word itself comes from "The Book of Mormon" that Mormons hold as Scripture just as they do the Bible. Mormon is the name of the person said to have anciently edited and compiled "The Book of Mormon" and is considered a prophet from long ago. Any reference to doctrine and practices can be called "Mormonism" without problem.

Gentiles. This is a name that Mormons have not used in at least two generations, if it ever was much at all. It can designate those who are not Mormon, but is more a religious term rather than practical one. Instead, Mormons use "member/Mormon" and "non-member/Mormon" for those in and outside of the LDS Church. Anyone who might be a member of record who doesn't or rarely follows the faith is often called "less-active" in some situations. Jews are not considered "Gentiles" by any Mormon who understands the religious implications. Therefore, any Jews who might say they are only "Gentiles" while in Utah or among Mormons is technically incorrect. They are considered of the House of Israel.

Houses of Worship. There are two kinds of houses of worship in Mormonism. The first is a "Ward house," "Church," or "Chapel." These are for weekly Sunday church services where members have Communion, give sermons/talks, and have Sunday School. Other social functions with more or less religious purposes can happen throughout the week. A "Stake house" is a Church that is designated the center of a small geographic area with other churches.

A "Temple" is a special place where Mormons go for sacred rituals. Only Mormons who have been found to have faith in the basics of the teachings and of moral character are allowed to attend. It is open Mon.-Sat., with Sunday set aside for regular worship. Non-members are not allowed inside unless through an open house before it is designated for religous activity.

Baptism for the Dead. This is the reason for so much genealogy work among Mormons. Although members of the LDS Church don't often use the clarification themselves, it is best to call it "proxy baptisms for the dead" rather than leaving out the first word. What that means is that in the Temple where special rituals are performed, a worthy member is baptised in behalf of a person who has died without a Mormon baptism. Those who have the proxy work done for them are considered free to accept or reject the religious performance. Ideally this work is only done for relatives only, but that isn't always the case.

President. This designation can come before Pres. Hinkley, the Prophet and leader of the LDS Church and his two councelors. It can also be the designation for the leader of a Stake who oversees a small group of congregations.

Elder. Most of the higher and general leadership of the Church can have this designation before their names. This includes members of the Quorum of the Twelve and the Quorum of Seventy. It also can be the desination for male missionaries who have been sent out to preach the Gospel, although females are called Sisters in this capacity.

Some corrections on repeated statements about Mormonism. There are some things that seem to get repeated often, but not with complete accuracy. Obviously, only a limited amount of space is available with an article. A complicated theological lesson is not realistic. Regardless, some minor corrections need to be made in fairness toward the subject. For a great list of the most basic teachings, read The Thirteen Articles of Faith for starters.

From an evangelical who with an open mind writes for Article VI Blog, another must read:

The larger issue is this idea in the e-mail that states, "The LDS Jesus is not the same Jesus of the Christian faith.

The banality of that assertion is astonishing. Jesus is an historical figure - a person who existed. There were not two guys that ran around Israel, under Rome, preached the Sermon on the Mount, that were crucified and resurrected, by the name of "Jesus." The same person in history is venerated by Mormons and creedals alike. What is different is how those two relgions interpret the nature and ministry of that historical figure. In other words Mormons and creedals have different theology.

Mormons view God and Jesus as separate beings, both of flesh and blood.

This is both true and false. First, Jesus only had "flesh and blood" when he was a mortal before his death and resurrection. The more accurate statement would be, "Mormons view God and Jesus as having a Glorified body of Flesh and Bone, quickened by the Spirit."

the Book of Mormon describes dark skin as a divine mark of disfavor.

Again, this is only part of the story. A good description would be, "In the past, church leadership tried to understand the reason for the priesthood ban for blacks. Many saw the black skin, although there were those who disagreed, as a curse of Cain similar to the reasoning of pro-slavery Christians. The "Book of Mormon" describes a similar curse of blackening of the skin for ancient Native Americans, but not as a priesthood damnation. It often warned against treating others badly because of that same skin color change."

In other words, to compare the priesthood ban and the rampant theologizing of the reasoning with what happens in the "Book of Mormon" is to compare apples to oranges; at best both are fruit.

Women cannot get to heaven without men.

A better description would be, "Mormons believe in the absolute necessity of marriage in the afterlife. A man and woman must be married in order to make it to the Mormon's belief in the highest degree of Heaven. No man or woman can reach that without the other."

A person will be excommunicated for not following the Prophet in Salt Lake City.

This has been answered since the early 1900s when a little known Mormon politician named Reed Smoot was elected. The book The Politics of American Religious Identity: The Seating of Senator Reed Smoot, Mormon Apostle by Kathleen Flake is a must read on the topic. As John at Article VI Blog states, "The vision of the CJCLDS presented by this book and the events it describes is one quite typical of a democratic organization. Strife, conflict, discussion and resolution are all at play here. Hardly the stuff of a prophet driven cult." And Richard L Bushman adds that there is a difference between what happens because of theology and church government and what happens because of politics.

In case your wondering, the answer is "No."

Mormons believe they can become Gods and own their own planets

This is the interpretation of Mormon doctrine from those who are not believers. There is no such doctrine in existance. It is true that this can be speculated from some other doctrines, but it is not an article of faith. The best that can be said is,"Eventually, Mormons believe, it is possible to become like God. What that means is up to debate within the religion, but at the least it means becoming fathers and mothers in Heaven."

The Constitution of the United States has been prophecied to "hang by a thread," and Mormon Elders/a Elder will save it.

As has been reported, this is part of a larger "prophecy" that has been denounced by LDS Church leaders for over a generation. There is a belief that the U.S. Constitution will hang by a thread, but not that the Mormons will take over or destroy it. Rather, that Mormons (I am not aware of a "single" Mormon) will step in and SAVE the U.S. Constitution from destruction. By the way, that means every part of it, including the freedom of religion.

LDS Missionaries can be a political force.

The role of a Missionary is purely spiritual. It is true that once or twice in the past they have been used for spreading a political message, but that was when the very existance of the church because of politics was in jeopardy. Today and for the past few generations the only role is to spread the Gospel as taught in Mormonism. As should be well known, to do otherwise has serious political and economic consiquences. The repeated statements of nuetrality of the LDS Church in personal and party politics (outside of what it sees as moral reasons) would be shattered.

Just remember, as John wrote,"Mormons are like anyone else; they have a wide range of political and religious views– including interpretations of their own beliefs." Because of that, the last great advice to journalists is don't simplify Mormons or Mormonism if you are going for fairness and accuracy. Actually talk to some.

2 comments:

mary
said...

Just happened upon your post in a google search - really enjoyed your intelligent and coherent approach to understanding the basics of the LDS faith. With all the mis-information about Mormons that I see around me, perhaps it's time I start distributing the URL for this particular blog post of yours. . . :-)

About Me

I am an Idaho native who likes to read and write about a variety of subjects. I graduated with a B.A. in English from BYU. Mormonism, one of my main interests, has fascinated me ever since my early teenage years.